Before
by LuxaLucifer
Summary: "Andromeda!" he greeted, grinning at her. It had been years, and he searched her face, taking in her curls, her smile. She looked healthy and happy, and that was more than could be said for most of the Black family. Written for the QLFC: Sirius and Andromeda meet for the last time.


I had to write a fic (for the QLFC of course) where the first and last word were the same, and also had to be a preposition. Hopefully you like it! Some minor Wolfstar is included, but not enough to warrant a shipping thing in the character section.

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Before long, Sirius found himself at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, fidgeting as he helped himself to a nice helping of chocolate sundae. Remus, of course, had gotten nothing, claiming he wasn't hungry. Sirius was having none of it, and ordered a second spoon and was magically force-feeding the dork as he peacefully ate.

"Sirius?"

Sirius's head snapped up from his ice cream when he heard the familiar voice. Behind him, Remus was still swatting at the spoon, deeply annoyed.

"Andromeda!" he greeted, grinning at her. It had been years, and he searched her face, taking in her curls, her smile. She looked healthy and happy, and that was more than could be said for most of the Black family.

"Sirius!" she said, pulling him off his chair and into a hug. She glanced at Remus, who had subdued the spoon but was now covered in ice cream. He glared at Sirius and quickly wiped his face.

"This is…uh, Remus, right?" said Andromeda, smile a little tighter.

Remus nodded, eyes on the table. Sirius couldn't remember if he'd told her that Remus was a werewolf or if they were dating. That reaction made either one likely.

"Can't say I'm used to it," said Andromeda. "But that's life. You're not always used to everything, huh?"

She sat, brushing a few stray curls back behind her ear. She truly was a gorgeous woman, without any of the dementia of her nearly identical sister.

She snapped her fingers, getting a waiter to serve her in less than ten seconds. Remus and Sirius watched her in awe. It became apparent as she ordered that she may not be a Black anymore, but she certainly hadn't lost her upbringing.

"So," said Andromeda once she'd gotten of her ice cream. "What's going on with you, Sirius? Are you safe?"

Sirius and Remus exchanged glasses.

"Well," said Sirius.

Andromeda shook her head. "Silly of me. Of course you're not safe. None of us are, especially those of you…" She dropped her voice to say, "Fighting."

"You know?" said Remus, surprised out of his silence.

"Oh, I know," said Andromeda, still speaking quietly. "It's why I didn't bring Dora. No offense, but meeting with you isn't safe anymore, Sirius."

He grinned. "Was it ever?"

She swatted him on the arm. "Shut it, you git. I've been worried about you, you know. You're doing danger things, and you're spending time with dangerous people."

Sirius could have sworn her eyes slide over to Remus. His smile tightened a bit.

"Better the Order than the Death Eaters," he hissed, glaring.

She blinked at him. "Quieter. We are in public, you know."

Remus picked up the spoon that had been swatting him in the face and began to tap on the table with it, using his other hand to keep up the tempo. Long, slender fingers that Sirius would much rather clutched in his own hand or running up and down his face.

"Yes," he sighed wistfully. "We are."

Remus snorted. Sirius kicked him in the shin.

"Dora's quite upset, you know," said Andromeda. "She really wanted to see her cousin Sirius. She think you're so cool. Should never have told her you have a motorcycle."

"Wish no one had told _me_," said Remus good-naturedly.

Andromeda smiled elegantly at the joke before turning her attention away from Remus. Sirius knew that smile. It was too polite, too bland. He'd have to apologize to Remus later for this. Or they could have sex instead. Sirius knew which idea he liked better.

"You know," said Sirius. "I miss Hogwarts."

"Yeah, I can imagine," said Andromeda, rolling her eyes. "The teachers are still complaining about you and your friends."

"No, I-"

She tilted her head. "Oh, you mean the defenses? Yes, Dumbledore's got that place really well guarded."

"No, I mean…" he said quickly, trying to elaborate. "It's…it's a nice place. Feels like home. Better than the flat we've got now."

"Rude," said Remus, smirking.

"That's not what I meant either, you five year old," grumbled Sirius, leaning back only to get his hair whipped in his face by a warm breeze. So much for summer. "I just mean that, well, Hogwarts was safe. Hogwarts was a place to escape."

"But you can't escape," said Andromeda. "You can't escape your life. I couldn't escape mine."

Sirius frowned. She held her hand up as he opened his mouth to protest.

"But you can change it," she added. "I couldn't escape my childhood, but I changed enough that I get to enjoy being an adult. I always saw that in you, Sirius. It's not fair that you have to figure all that out during these dark times."

Sirius didn't like talking about dark things, so he just nodded tightly.

She smiled at him with a fondness he didn't associate with members of his family. Uncle Alphard and Andromeda, that was it. Those were the ones he loved.

And James, of course. Always James, his real brother, not the traitor with his blood. Peter fit in that category too, Sirius's chest filled with a tightness when he thought about how long since he'd seen the mousy man smile. Remus was the exception; he was separate, in his own category. Remus wasn't family because he was something more.

He wasn't sure how much of this Andromeda could read in his face, but regardless, she reached over and patted his hand, the ring on her face cool against his fingers.

"I'm cheering for you, dear," she said. She hesitated and glanced at Remus. "Both of you."

She stood, and Sirius stood with her in surprise. "You're going already?"

She pointed at her ice cream. "I'm done, love, and you two are dangerous, as is Diagon Alley these days. I'd best get going."

She leaned forward to peck him on the cheek, grabbing her purse from where she'd set it on the table. A Muggle purse, he noticed now. That made him happy for some reason, even as he rubbed her lipstick off his cheek.

"Bye," he said, Remus nodding with him. It didn't feel enough.

"I hope to see you again," she said, her words speaking volumes.

When her back was turned to them, Remus whispered in Sirius's ear, "So does she know we're gay or was it the lycanthropy?"

"I have no clue," said Sirius, snorting.

He dropped his smile, thinking of himself when he was younger. How she'd been the only one there for him sometimes. How she'd kiss his cheek and tell him that everything would be okay. To hell with it, he decided. He shouted, managing to get her attention before she was completely out of the line of hearing.

"'Dromeda!" he yelled. "Thank you for everything! For my childhood! For before!"


End file.
